Early Childhood Intervention

Alisa Lingham, Speech Pathologist

Early Childhood Intervention is the name used to describe therapy services for children with developmental delay and/or disabilities who are aged between 0 and 7 years. 

What does therapy in Early Childhood Intervention look like?

Therapy is based on what works best for you and your individual family. Therapists work together in partnership with you and your child. Therapists get to know your child and understand their strengths and interests. What is your child good at? What does your child like to do in their day? Children learn best when they are enjoying themselves and included in meaningful activities. 

Every family has goals that they would like their child to achieve. Therapists focus on the goals that your family values, and that you decide are important for your child.

For example, you may want your child to:

  • Say more words and express themselves. 
  • Understand what you are saying to them. 
  • Learn self-care activities, such as getting dressed, brushing teeth or using the toilet. 
  • Use their body to walk, run, climb, and jump. 
  • Understand their body’s sensory system (eg. touch/sight/smells). 
  • Manage their big feelings/emotions. 
  • Play with toys and objects. 
  • Make friends with other children. 
  • Enjoy going to childcare or kindergarten. 
  • Try new experiences or go to places in your neighbourhood. 
  • Stay safe.

Family-led therapy:

All children grow and learn as a part of their family. Therapy sessions focus on both the child and the family members that support and care for them. Families can discover strategies to help their child learn throughout their whole day, when the therapists aren’t present. This can give children lots of opportunity to practice learning their new skills. Working in this way with families is sometimes called parent-coaching. Families can help children to become confident, connected learners as they explore their world.

Working together:

A big focus of Early Childhood Intervention is working together as a team. Therapists work in collaboration with families and children. Therapists can also work with other important people in your child’s life such as grandparents, childcare educators, or other health professionals. 

How does Telehealth work for young children? My child won’t be able to sit and join-in a video call. 

Online therapy for Early Childhood Intervention can be as effective for children and families as face-to-face therapy. With a focus on parent-coaching there is less need for the child to sit and attend sessions. Telehealth isn’t just about video calls/videoconferencing; it can include phone calls, emails, text messages or video sharing. Please contact us to find out more about how telehealth could work for you. 

Evidence-based therapy:

All therapy and intervention at Umbo follows the Australian Early Childhood Best Practice Guidelines to provide high quality therapy services in Early Childhood. 

Early Childhood Intervention and the NDIS:

The NDIS provides funding for therapeutic services for young children with developmental delays and/or disabilities through Early Childhood Supports. Umbo is registered with the NDIS to provide Early Childhood Intervention therapy.

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